1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to side guards for beds, and more particularly, to side guards for hospital beds and the like that incorporate means for controlling remote electrical devices.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Side guards for hospital beds and the like are well known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,932,903-Adams et al. (assigned to the same assignee as the present invention) relates to a side guard that is rotatable between an elevated position and a lowered position and slidable from the lowered position to a position underneath the bed. The Adams et al. patent also discloses the mounting of electrical switches on a side guard for controlling the electrical motors which raise and lower the head and foot portions of the bed.
Heretofore in the art, the means for controlling remote electrical devices such as radio, television, nurse's call light, intercommunication system, room lights, environment controls, etc. have either been remotely mounted apart from the bed or have been mounted on a bedside pendant or control box pinned or otherwise attached in some manner to the bedding in a position where the patient could reach it. Unfortunately, control consoles mounted in bedside stands and the like typically are expensive and often not very accessible to patients suffering from motion-restricting illnesses or injuries. Moreover, mounting the controls in a pendant or control box attached to the bedding often interferes with patient movement or results in difficult operation when in a position where the patient cannot see and easily operate the controls. Moreover, control pendants often fall to the floor becoming contaminated and are subject to damage if dropped. Also, vomit, urine, food or beverage can damage such bed pendants.
Thus, it would be a desirable advance in the art to provide a means for mounting controls for remote electrical devices on a hospital bed or the like in a position where they are both easily accessible and viewable by the occupant of the bed and avoid the deficiencies of the prior art.